Dancing
by 9r7g5h
Summary: When all else failed, they danced.


**AN: **The first of my tries at NCIS: LA fanfiction. I hope you all find it enjoyable.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own NCIS:LA.

* * *

Finally, just as the sun began to set into the sea, so did the day for one extraordinarily special NCIS team end.

Slowly, collecting their personal affects that duty forced them to leave in office at all times, team member after team member filed out towards the door, wishing each other a good night and good rest as they each made their way towards their private domains. For most of the team, it was a job well done, even if the ending was more bitter then sweet in the end. A major terrorist attack had been prevented, sparing the lives and livelihoods of millions, but the price for their victory had been set at the life of one of their own, a good friend even if only one knew him well enough to testify to his virtue. The sour taste in their mouths was only worsened with Sam's departure to return to his highly dangerous undercover op in the Middleast. However, many of them had quickly realized that this was just the calm before the storm, and as such, they took their wins where they could find them. So, focusing as much as they could on that slight sweetness, most of the team left to prepare for the moment when crap truly did hit the fan.

Most of the team.

Deeks sighed as he slowly made his way towards the gym, his heart heavy with the knowledge that there would be no peace for a while yet for him and his partner. If the look he had been given and the request to make sure the front door was locked when he was done was anything to go by, and it was, at very least Hetty, and most likely everyone else, also knew what he was in for, for it was something that they went through almost every time a case went down like this. Pausing for a moment to compose himself, Deeks carefully stuck his head through the door as the rhythmic pounding of flesh on stuffed fabric reached his ears, every hit telling him exactly what he had to deal with tonight.

It wasn't pretty.

Special Agent Kensi Blye, although as beautiful as the title implied, was by no means the princess he often teased her of being. Stubborn, strong willed, problematic and argumentive, there was no way Kensi would ever be caught standing around while a man did all of the work for her. Unless unconscious or sporting a severely broken limb (and sometimes the latter wasn't even enough to keep her down), it could be expected to see Kensi running in with the boys, her gun probably drawn and ready before the rest of them had even realized they were needed. She was never a damsel in distress, and everyone knew it.

Which made it that much harder for her to accept the few times she was.

Letting himself all the way into the gym, Deeks winced as the stand-alone punching bag Kensi had dragged into the training room fell to the ground with a thud, the metal weights that were suppose to keep it upright cutting small gouges into the wooden floor below. Softly smiling as a stream of curses left her lips, it was at that moment that he realized that, in all honesty, there was no sound more beautiful then the sound of her voice to him. Music, the crash of waves upon the sand, not even the angels singing could compare to the sound of foul words dropping from her lips as if she was a sailor.

Mainly because she was the one saying them.

If asked, Deeks would proudly say that he was man enough to admit that, from the moment he had realized that Kensi had a gun pointed to her head, he had been terrified. Although his feelings for his partner were strictly professional when everything was all fine and dandy, the moment things went wrong, his heart often had a bad habit of betraying him by bringing up the fact that maybe, just maybe, he kinda, sorta, maybe more then a little bit might just possibly in a way more round-a-bout then direct, if the chance of this scenario existing at all was possible, which it wasn't, he had fallen in love with her. Maybe.

Sure, on the outside he had been a calm and coolness, the perfect picture of a person completely unaware that something was wrong. But the moment he heard that telltale involuntary intake of air pass Kensi's lips, he had been on full alert, his senses turned up to eleven and his heart beating faster then he could ever remember. Which was actually quite impressive, if he did say so himself.

However, it was because of his heart that, instead of the incredibly professional 'Drop your weapon and put your hands in the air.' command he had been taught at the academy, he said what had become known within his mind as 'The Lines.' They was the verbal representation of the line that he had sworn to himself that he would never cross, allowing those damn feelings that inhabited his heart flow over into his work, but the sight of the gun at Kensi's head, even if it was in the hands of someone who later became a trusted partner, brought out both the best and the worst in him. And so, he had said it.

"Let me make this perfectly clear. If you harm her, this will be your last day on Earth."  
Of course, he had easily been able to cover his transgression by playing the partner card, passing his freak out off as nothing more then concern at seeing his co-worker's head blown off.

He thought he might have fooled them, but he wasn't too sure. Seeing as how he had yet to be assigned to a new partner, things seemed to be good.

Deciding that enough was enough, Deeks swiftly slide into position, easily catching her fist in his hand before taking a swipe at her head, pulling at the last second to allow her to regain her bearings. No that she needed it. A small smile appearing on her face for the first time since he started watching her, she immediately retaliated with a foot to the back of his leg, almost toppling him with her trick. Smirking back, he regained his balance before driving his fist towards her stomach, watching with pleasant surprise as she avoided him.

It was something they often did, fighting against each other when the gym and the shooting range became not enough to relieve the tension the day had built up. It was, in a way, almost fun, seeing if they could get the upper hand over each other, acting and reacting to each other's movements almost without conscious thought. Twisting and turning, weaving their way around the exercise equipment that littered the ground, their spar took them across the gym, away from the punching bags and into the area Hetty had set up earlier for them to dance in. Breathing heavily, but in no way wanting to lose, Deeks desperately glanced around, looking for anything that could give him the advantage. Spotting the music player that Hetty had left from earlier, a devious plan formed within his mind, causing an equally mischievous smirk to cross his face. Dodging Kensi's next blow, he made a break for the player, switching it on just before Kensi reached him.

As the beginning of the waltz swelled into existence, Deeks once against dodged Kensi's punch before grasping her around the waist, catching the blow that was intended to hit his head in his opposite hand so that, for all intensive purposes, he was once again in the position that Hetty had taught him that morning. Smirking, he quickly pulled her into the steps of the dance before she could regain her balance, forcing her to throw her free arm around his shoulders to keep from falling. Readjusting his grip on her hand, flashing her a real smile, Deeks fully led Kensi into the waltz.

For a long while the two danced in silence, pausing momentarily only as one piece of music gave way to make room for the next. Finally, as the last dance ended, the final note singing out a soft requiem, Deeks released Kensi with a gentlemanly bow, bringing up her hand to place a gentle kiss on the tips of her fingers. It wasn't until silence had fallen over them that he released the full blown smirk that had been building withing, earning him a punch on the shoulder from his suddenly irate partner.

'Why couldn't you dance that well this morning," Kensi asked, brushing a clump of hair out of her face as she fixed him with a steely gaze. "If our first dance had gone well, it would have saved us half an hour of Hetty's instructions. And have saved my feet from those heels. And where did you learn to dance anyway?" Chuckling, Deeks gave a slight shrug as he reached out to brush his hand against her cheek, removing the strand she had missed while at the same time marveling at the softness of her skin. Leaning in, demolishing the few feet that stood between them, he whispered quietly into her ear, his voice soft and low as he gave his excuse.

"There has been more then once occasion that I've had to dance while undercover Kens. And if I had danced that well this morning Princess, then I wouldn't have been able to do this."  
Then, acting quickly before she could react or he lost his nerves, Deeks placed a feather-like kiss upon her cheek, reconfirming with his lips just how soft his fingers had said she was.

The next thing he knew, before his brain could properly catch up with his body, he was on the other side of the gym, returning the punching bag that Kensi had been using to its proper place. Glancing over at the stunning woman that, just a few minutes ago, had been in his arms, a nervous smile crossed his face as he took into her wide eyes and the fingers that were pressed against her cheek, as if she was subconsciously trying to regain the brief warmth of his lips. A thousand thoughts raced through his mind as Kensi's mouth opened, ready to voice the question he knew she was going to ask.

He never let her.

"Deeks, what-"

"There's no need to come beat up our poor equipment every time you get a gun pulled on you Fern. Next time it happens, we'll just go out for donuts or something and you can shoot the first guy that looks at you funny, okay?" Feeling her eyes bore holes into his back, Deeks forced himself to remain calm as he headed towards the door, his body completely relaxed as he checked to make sure it could lock behind him as he left.

"Next time, Deeks? Really?"

"Of course Princess," Deeks threw over his shoulder, glad that the slightly irritated tone of her voice was normal once again instead of that breathy whisper that had almost driven him wild. "You just can't stand being away from me, so you'll get into trouble again soon. I'll bet on it."

Chuckling as her response was cut off by the closing of the door, Deeks slowly collected his personal affects, finally ready to head on out. Pausing, it was with a wide grin that he listened as the soft sound of the waltz once more reached his ears, accompanying him as he exited the building to return home. Had he really been paying attention, he would have known that his final confession of the night was heard by a pair of smiling ears that had silently followed him, the slight sounds her footsteps made covered by the music.

"I'm glad your not dead Kensi. And, take this how you will, but I meant what I said."

Perhaps Hetty was right, and they couldn't always work harmoniously with each other, but in Deeks' opinion, that just made the moments he truly connected with Kensi Blye that much more amazing.


End file.
